Chapter 184

**CAY POV***

Mihen looks at me as if he would murder me with just his eyes if he could, but he can’t and now i have my mother, father and our army at my back, all of them ready to protect me. They would all die for me if that is what it would take for me to be free. But they won’t have to, i am going to take the general down, even if it is the last thing that i ever do on this earth.

I will gladly die, but first, i am going to destroy the man who thought that i was easily broken. There is nothing easy about me, and i am not going to give myself over to him or anyone else.

He doesn’t even know who i am, or what i have done in the past, he just thinks of me as a spoiled princess who cannot even protect herself. But i am more than that, i am a warrior. It has taken me years to train under the best fighters our kingdom had to offer, and whilst both my mother and father don’t care to know what i do in my spare time, i am sure they’ll be glad for that training very soon.

Mihen steps forward, drawing his sword, “Don’t be stupid, princess, just come to me and i will make all of this so much easier for you to bare.” He snarls, his tone full of warning. “come stand by my side whilst i kill them.”

“You really think that i would stand by and watch you kill my parents, Mihen?” i ask, taking a sword from a nearby soldier. “Because if that is what you believe then you do not know me at all.”

“Cay, what are you doing?” my mother asks, her voice full of urgency, “You shouldn’t provoke him like that.”

“Listen to your mother, princess, do not provoke me.” Warns the general.

“I know what i am doing mother.” i tell her before turning back to the enemy, “I can say whatever i want, i am not under your grasp any longer.”

“Maybe not.” He agrees, “But when this fight is over, i will destroy you from the inside out.”

I raise the sword, holding it in both my hands, “You can try.”

The sword is heavier than i am used to, but i know that i can fight with it.

I've had to use heavier in the past.

I can do this.

I rush forward before Mihen can say another word, and before my father or mother can stop me, i am finally ready to fight, and i have the world at my back, ready to support me should i need it.

I swing the sword, aiming for Mihen’s neck, but he blocks the blow with his own sword, he’s fast, but i think i can be faster, if i put everything i have into this fight.

I easily dodge his attack, he’s not trying to kill me, he’s only trying to make me stop. He wants my surrender. But he will not get it. Surrendering is not an option, not anymore, not after what he has done.

He clashes his sword against mine, knocking me back a couple of feet and then charging me, managing to slice the side of my arm, and fuck, it hurts. I don’t let myself stop, not even for a moment before i attack, slicing his across the back of the knee.

Mihen hobbles a little, cursing under his breath, and before i can land another blow on him, i am tackled to the ground, the sword torn from my grasp.

I scream in anger, thrashing against whoever was holding me down, but it was no use, i never did have much upper body strength.

Mihen smirks at the person restraining me, “Well done Jren.” He turns to me, “You have been a very bad girl, princess, but don’t worry, i know the perfect punishment for you.”

“Fuck you.” I growl spitting at his feet.

He laughs, putting his sword away, “Don’t worry, you’ll be doing exactly that when we are finished here.”

I'm done for, there is no way I'll escape now.

**LUCINDA POV**

I watched my daughter fight and i could do nothing but admire her strength and courage, she is amazing, she is exactly as i always dreamed she would be. Fierce and strong.

But i know all too well that men do not play fair, and when i saw Jren coming, i knew that he would stop her from killing the general. Men do not like to lose, especially when they believe themselves to be better than us.

Dieter acted the same way all those years ago, and now i am seeing it here, with Mihen, and it does not surprise me.

Women have always been the lesser sex, even though we are the ones who give life to children, we are not seen as anything other than what our bodies can give to men.

They like the pleasure our bodies give, but they do not like the spirit within us.

Men want us weak and controllable, my daughter is none of those things, and that is what will get her killed.

“Stay away from my daughter.” Dieter growls, stepping forward with his blade drawn.

Mihen laughs at him, clearly cocky because of the army at his back, but whilst he has the numbers, we have the skill, and it will be a hard battle.

I just hope that i can get Cay away from the general during the fighting, that is the plan Dieter and i came up with.

“Your daughter belongs to me, and she is mine to destroy, just as you destroyed my home.” Mihen says, dragging Cay to her feet.

Cay tries to fight, but he holds her tightly.

“What do you want?” i ask, holding my arm out to stop Dieter from advancing.

Mihen’s eyes turn black with rage, “I want all of you dead, and then i am going to kill your daughter, and your sons who hide in the city.”

“What happened to your village was a shame, it was not planned.” Dieter says, trying to remain calm.

“That doesn't matter anymore, not so long as i get my revenge.” He grabs Cay by the throat, squeezing until her face turns blue. “I could kill her now and make all of you watch.”

“You could, but you would never make it out of here alive, so how about a trade?” i ask, stepping forward, “You can take my life, and in exchange, you will let my daughter live out her days until death naturally takes her.”

Mihen looks around, all the men we brought with us ready for a fight, and each and every one of them ready to die.

Dieter grabs my arm, “You can’t do that Lucinda, i forbid it.”

“I can, and i will.” I snatch my arm back, “Don’t pretend that you care, not now, my heart cannot take it.”

Mihen slowly smiles, nodding his head and he throws Cay into the ground, “You have a deal, i will take your life, and the princess will live.”

I step forward, a sad smile on my face as my daughter screams at me to stop, but i cannot.

I have to make sure that she lives, her life has just begun, mine is over.

I should have never lived this long, i am ready to join the sky and return to the ashes.